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Good idea but I wouldn't recommend it since one mis tap and you fracture the spar alon the length. Best way to remove c-clips is to take a small pair of pliers and gently twist each end to break the glue bond then pull it off or use your tap method but have a tube that can go over the spar. A box end wrench works instead of a tube and gives you better surface to tap.

You don't need to tap hard, and the flat of the blade is parallel to the spar so it can't really dig in. I've used it for years now and never damaged a spar, only occasionally cracked the C clip but they may have been damaged already. Superglue has great bonding strength but very little shear strength. Twisting with pliers you would be trying to break the bond rather than using it's weakness against it?

I don't mean twist around the spar, but twist as if you were trying to peel it off the spar rotating ends up or down(can't think of a better way to describe it atm). It just takes a little bit of movement to break the glue bond. I did it your way for a while but I've had rods fail from hair line cracks right at the clips so I stopped using the screwdriver and went to a small box end wrench or aluminum tube for an anvil. Much easier on the rods if your trying to save them. No matter what method used we should mention ALWAYS have spare clips before doing it just incase you do break one

Honestly I use the twist/pry screw driver technique...and if it breaks pull outcome bag.....cheap enough.....

The biggest problem I found with twisting/prying is that if the clip snaps in half, even if you get the other half off, it often leaves a 'splinter' of c clip glued firmly to the spar that is big enough to stop the fitting sliding off. It's usually too small to get a pair of pliers on and the only way to shift it is to try and carefully cut it off with a craft knife - that is when I have damaged spars in the past when the cut goes a bit too deep.

I sorta' dislike c-clips so have no problem busting them off and replacing them with cut end caps or donuts made from vacuum line from the auto parts store of course that entails much more work. Everybody contributed great ideas, I haven't made a tool like KaoS but have used Anthony's end wrench idea.

PS: Loved the music in the video, so 50's I'm still smiling

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